Category: Film

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More Things To Do in York and beyond when honey infuses artworks. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 45, from The York Press

Nick Walters’ Honey Dipper, on show in The Wisdom Of The Desert at the Red Tower, York

FROM Jane Asher as The Queen to honey artworks at the Red Tower, the Aesthetica Film Festival to Neon Crypt’s ghost story, Charles Hutchinson highlights more November gems.

Pop-up art show of the week: Navigators Art presents No Spinoza & Nick Walters, The Wisdom Of The Desert, The Red Tower, Foss Islands Road, York, today, 6pm to 9pm; tomorrow, 1pm to 4pm

GROUNDBREAKING multi-media York artists No Spinoza (Thomas Pearson) and Nick Walters share an interest in the immersive, provocative, multi-sensory experience of film, sound and sculpture, as represented in their joint show in York’s historic Red Tower.

No Spinoza presents Jupiter’s Great Hurricane (2026), a cycle of experimental music and film that broadly explores themes of temptation, progress and inheritance with references to desert spirituality. Walters’ Honey Dipper (2026) passes electrical current through honey to create mysterious and ever-changing textures of sound, while Ex-voto (2026) is a series of small sculptures set in niches in the tower walls that alludes to beeswax votive statues placed in shrines as a gesture of gratitude and devotion.

Victorian Penny Farthing Rider lit up at Ghosts After Dark at York Museum Gardens. Picture: Celestine Dubruel

Sculpture trail of the week: York BID and York Museums Trust present Ghosts After Dark, York Museum Gardens, today and tomorrow, 5.30pm to 9.30pm; timed entry slots until 8pm

IN the wake of Ghosts In The Gardens’ free public art trail of 70 wire-mesh sculptures across 32 city-centre locations, Ghosts After Dark brings storytelling, light, smoke and sound to York Museum Gardens, plus King’s Manor courtyard and Library Lawn, the Anglian Tower, Edible Wood, Artists’ Garden, St Olave’s churchyard and the area beside York Art Gallery.

Representing a fascinating person, creature or story connected to York’s history, each sculpture was made by York creative agency Unconventional Design. A new immersive experience (the Witch Encounter) and the inaugural night market are further highlights of the 90-minute trail. Bookings: www.theyorkbid.com/ghosts-after-dark/.

The VR Lab at the National Centre for Early Music, in Walmgate, at the Aesthetica Film Festival

Festival of the week: Aesthetica Film Festival, York, until tomorrow

IN its 16th year under the artistic directorship of Cherie Federico, Aesthetica Film Festival welcomes filmmakers, games developers and virtual reality experts from around the world. The five-day programme comprises  screenings, VR & games labs, a podcasting lounge, industry masterclasses and workshops, networking sessions, live performances, pitching opportunities, the New Music Stage and much more. For the full programme and tickets, go to asff.co.uk.

Gareth Malone: Inviting you to Sing-A-Long-A-Gareth’s afternoon of movie songs

Instant choir of the week: Sing-A-Long-A-Gareth At The Movies, Grand Opera House, York, today, 4pm

LIGHTS, camera, sing! Choirmaster supreme Gareth Malone returns with a new tour show in an immersive celebration of the greatest songs from the movies and the joy of singing together. Please note, there is a maximum of ten tickets per household and seats in higher levels or with restricted views may not have full visibility of the on-stage screen. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The Gipsy Kings by Andre Reyes: Championing flamenco music at the Grand Opera House, York

Flamenco gig of the week: The Gipsy Kings by Andre Reyes present Viva El Arie, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

THE Gipsy Kings  by André Reyes transcend musical borders with their flamenco music and rumba. Led by Gipsy Kings co-founder Andre Reyes, the family project combines the band’s original essence with a renewed energy.

Together with his son and nephews, Reyes still conquers the world’s most prestigious stages after three decades. His dedication celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the gypsy community while ensuring this music continues to resonate with new generations. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Ellie Mackenzie in a montage for Oddsocks Productions’ Motherhood

Maternal matters of the week: Oddsocks Productions in Motherhood, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm

REGULAR visitors to the JoRo, Matlock company Oddsocks Productions present an amusing and moving look at the bizarre and downright unbelievable aspects of raising children while running a family business in Motherhood. Actress and writer Elli Mackenzie explores the highs and lows, the frustrations and joys of being a working parent alongside her husband Andy, an orangutan and a giant woodlouse. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Laura Main as The Dresser and Jane Asher as The Queen in Daisy Goodwin’s play By Royal Appointment, on tour at York Theatre Royal

Regal drama of the week: By Royal Appointment, York Theatre Royal, November 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2pm Wednesday & Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

THE late Queen Elizabeth II had one way of expressing what she really thought –through her wardrobe. Daisy Goodwin’s funny, poignant and celebratory By Royal Appointment takes a behind-the-scenes peek into the world of our most popular monarch and the image she presented to the world.

Here, The Queen (played by Jane Asher) is uninterested in fashion. Instead, her look is managed by her Designer (David Robb), her Milliner (Matthew Cottle) and most powerful of all, her Dresser (Laura Main), a working-class girl who goes from advising Her Majesty on the colour of her lipsticks to the real power behind the throne. Like all royal favourites, however, the Dresser is living on borrowed time. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Author Miles Salter holding a copy of his new book, A Dangerous Band: The Pretenders 1978-83

Book launch of the week: Miles Salter, A Dangerous Band: The Pretenders 1978-83, Topping & Company bookshop, Museum Street, York, November 10, 7pm (doors 6.30pm)

YORK author, journalist, songwriter, band leader, podcaster, storyteller, festival organiser and poet Miles Salter launches A Dangerous Band: The Pretenders 1978-83 in conversation with poet and author John Goodby at Topping & Co.

“Their remarkable, strange, dark, sad tale was a gift to a writer,” says Salter. “Every time I thought ‘this can’t get any stranger’, something else came up. The more I talked to people, the stranger it became, the darker and darker it became.  A story of totally living that rock’n’roll life but to the detriment of band members James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon as it cost them their lives.” Tickets cost £17.95, including hardback book or £5 “if you just want to come and listen”.  To book, go to: https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/york/miles-salter-the-pretenders/

Michael Cornell, left, Laura Castle, Laura McKeller and Jamie McKeller in Neon Crypt’s production of 2:22 A Ghost Story at Theatre@41, Monkgate

Supernatural thriller of the week: Neon Crypt in 2:22 A Ghost Story, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, November 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

AFTER two visits to the Grand Opera House, Uncanny and The Battersea Poltergeist ghost storyteller Danny Robins’s West End smash 2:22 A Ghost Story falls into the welcoming hands of York spook specialists Neon Crypt, who will stage the modern-day horror show in traverse – with seating to either side of the stage – for the first time. “The audience are a part of the story. There is nowhere to escape,” forewarns director Jamie McKeller.

Jenny (Laura McKeller) believes her new home is haunted, but husband Sam (Jamie McKeller) is having none of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren (Laura Castle) and new partner Ben (Michael Cornell). Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and ever closer, so they vow to stay up until 2:22am…and only then will they know. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/.

The poster for David Ford’s Songbook gig at The Dolphin in Robin Hood’s Bay

If you go to one coastal gig next week, make it: Higgledy Gigs presents David Ford, Songbook, The Dolphin, King Street, Robin Hood’s Bay, near Whitby, November 11, 8pm

EASTBOURNE, singer, songwriter, sage and scribe David Ford’s Songbook tour combines highlights and stories from 25 years of songwriting in a  a stripped-back, intimate evening. Part live set, part storytelling, he revisits the songs that have shaped his career, sharing the moments and influences behind them along the way as he moves between raw, powerful performances and quieter, more reflective moments with warmth and humour throughout.

The tour accompanies the release of a special career-spanning retrospective double album on vinyl, bringing together standout songs from his catalogue. Comprising updated recordings and re-mastered originals, Ford’s selection of his most important work is compiled in one place for the first time. Tonight’s show offers the chance to hear those songs as they were meant to be experienced, up close and in the moment. Tickets: trybooking.com/uk/event/110427 or at the bar.

Chris Ramsey: Here, Man, in York on November 12 with the last few tickets still available

Comedy gig of the week: Chris Ramsey, Here, Man!, York Barbican, November 12, 7.30pm

IN response to overwhelming demand (mainly from wife Rosie who is desperate to get him out of the house), South Shields comedian and podcaster Chris Ramsey is on the road this month after selling out his March travels.  

You may have seen him on TV on The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show, Strictly Come Dancing and Taskmaster or presenting Children In Need or heard him co-hosting his weekly marital podcast, Shagged. Married. Annoyed, with the long-suffering Rosie. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

In Focus: Teenage Fanclub, Project House, Leeds, November 9, 7pm. Raymond McGinley in discussion with CharlesHutchPress

Teenage Fanclub on the remote Scottish island of Great Bernera when recording Do Not Dare To Dream. Picture Donald Milne

TEENAGE Fanclub head to Project House, Leeds, on Monday (9/11/2026) on their 15-date November tour to promote Do Not Dare To Dream. 

“Last time in Leeds we played the Brudenell Social Club, and it’s good when you’ve been doing it for so long, and you’re going a back to cities you’ve been before, to play somewhere new there,” says co-founder and lead guitarist Raymond McGinlay.

Released on October 9 on Merge Records as the follow-up to 2023’s Nothing Lasts Forever, their 13th studio album was recorded at Black Bay Studio on the remote Scottish island of Great Bernera, the Glasgow band’s most remote recording location since their formation in 1989.

This setting helped the five-piece to focus on the work, while putting them in a place of awe, surrounded by the sound of crashing waves and the haunting presence of ancient ruins.

“It was a new studio to us,” says Raymond, who is still at the heart of Teenage Fanclub’s signature blend of melodic guitars, warm harmonies, and reflective songwriting, along with fellow songwriter Norman Blake, after 37 years. “We’re always on the lookout, when we’re making a new record, to find a new place that we’ve never been to before.

“We usually start with fragments of songs, allowing things to happen in the moment, reacting to the surroundings, and when we were looking for a studio, there was this one on an island off the far end of the Isle of Lewis. We looked at pictures and it looked interesting.

“It worked out for us, doing the album in late January and early February, when  we thought it would be bleak, but actually it was really beautiful: lovely to walk around, with not many people there and the main inhabitants being sheep. Not many hours of daylight, but at least there was light in the studio.”

Production duties were shared between band members, the band’s studio engineer and the studio owner. “There was no producer as such; it was a collective endeavour,” says Raymond, who “feels lucky that you find people that you connect with”.

Teenage Fanclub in Black Bay Studio when recording 13th studio album Do Not Dare To Dream. Picture: Donald Milne

“From that point of view, experience tells you to let things happen without having too much ego or someone trying to impose an idea. We’re pretty good at working together, with me and Norman presenting ideas, and then it’s all quite instinctive with the band.”

McGinlay and Blake are “the ones sitting up at night, maybe three in the morning, trying to figure out lyrics”. Alongside them for the recording sessions are long-time members Euros Childs (keyboards), David McGowan (bass) and Francis Macdonald (drums).

“Euros starts contributing or David does what he feels like doing, Francis joins in on drums, and it just kind of evolves into songs,” says Raymond. “The input of everyone is important.” So, on this occasion, were synthesisers and a Domus church organ found by the band at Black Bay, the organ now heard prominently on many songs, most notably on Over And Over.

“We approach everything kind of the same way each time we make a record,” says Raymond. “Whether you intend things to be different, you just have to be conscious of trusting your instincts in doing our thing. We are the people we are now that we were then, but the subtlety of things changes year to year All you can do is offer something that comes from within yourself.”

Raymond continues: “Sometimes, if you’re going to show something of yourself, you show vulnerability, which exists in everyday life, and I find it’s best to reveal something of yourself, rather than constructing a persona.”

How was the album title chosen? “It’s difficult when it comes to…coming up with a name for an album,” says co-founder Norman. “Especially after you’ve made 12 of them.” In the end, his song I Do Not Dare To Dream was adapted to represent the overriding theme of pushing back on hollow optimism while still embracing a quietly hopeful outlook. “Those ‘dare to dream’ sentiments are kind of ridiculous,” reckons Norman. “I don’t think the world works that way.”

Raymond adds: “Norman came up with the title as a riposte to that soundbite optimism, those completely meaningless expressions.” Instead Teenage Fanclub advocate resilience when facing an increasingly uncertain world, where the need is to find clarity and comfort in the everyday, rather than giving in to despair.

 “Now it’s the unknowingness of it that makes it more scary,” he says. “We’re no different to anyone else in presenting introspective reflections on creativity.

“In the place where we made the record, people would have been singing thousands of years ago,” says Teenage Fanclub’s Raymond McGinlay. Picture: Donald Milne

“We’re not that different to people before technology, people dealing with difficult circumstances, though most of us had been far less pessimistic before.” That said, Raymond declares: “We can still be cheerful and optimistic in the face of things not being great”.

Picking a favourite from  Do Not Dare To Dream, Raymond says: “I really like Norman’s song Somewhere To Land, the last one of his we recorded, where he added mellotron when we got back to Glasgow.”

Reflecting on Teenage Fanclub’s longevity, Raymond says: “Yeah, it’s been a while since we started doing this thing we do, but to us it feels like no time at all. In the place [Great Bernera] where we made the record, people would have been singing thousands of years ago. Life is short, but music is eternal.

“What you do with your life, doing this mad thing for 37 years, it‘s a privilege, because most people who want to do this, be in a band, make records, play concerts, most people don’t manage to do that. I don’t think we’re better than others, but somehow we connect with our audience and that has allowed us to continue.

“We started the band in 1989, going into the studio wanting to make a record in our little bubble. Me and Norman had played in the band The Boy Hairdressers, which then fizzled out and we thought, let’s do something, as opposed to just talking about it. Let’s make an album and ask if others are interested in these songs, going from just doing something for yourself, to then having an audience. That’s something you can’t take for granted.”

Four decades have taught McGinlay and Blake that “when you make a record you never presume anyone will be interested”, but that interest has sustained. For proof,  Do Not Dare To Dream has just been placed at number 48 in Uncut magazine’s Top 80 albums of 2026.

Futuresound presents Teenage Fanclub at Project House, Armley Road, Leeds, on November 9, doors 7pm. Box office: https://www.seetickets.com/event/teenage-fanclub/project-house/3481726.

Track listing for Do Not Dare To Dream:

There Was You; Tomorrow People; Over And Over; Be With You Tonight; The Same Air; I Do Not Dare To Dream; Take Time; Day In The Sun; Somewhere To Land and Young And Wise.

The cover artwork for Teenage Fanclub’s Do Not Dare To Dream, released on Merge Records last month

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Music event of the week: Aesthetica Film Festival presents New Music Stage, York Theatre Royal, November 7, 1pm to 8.50pm

LFay: Opening the first New Music Stage bill at York Theatre Royal on Saturday

FOR the second year running, Aesthetica Film Festival is playing host to the Aesthetica New Music Stage as part of its Music At Aesthetica programme.

Designed to support emerging talent, this event brings together ten breakthrough British and Irish acts making waves in the music scene already, whether in indie, folk, jazz or pop, before they explode onto the world stage.

Supported by TALENTBANQ, Caffè Nero, Innovate UK, Leeds Conservatoire, Imagesound and Beggars Group, performances take place across two sessions, 1pm to 3.40pm and 6.10pm to 8.50pm, with five acts in each one.  

Who are the acts for the New Music Stage?

LFay, 1pm to 1.20pm

LFAY is a lyricist and vocalist from rural Norfolk, crafting a vibrant sound that fuses old-school hip-hop, urban jazz and neo-soul with elements of jungle, drum & bass and breaks.

LFay delivers playful yet insightful observations on the impact of isolation and youth experience, drawing inspiration from her free party and rave culture roots, while incorporating textures and imagery influenced by the pirate radio scene of the 1990s. Her music has been featured on BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, Capital XTRA and BBC Introducing, where she has been named a One Tto Watch 2026 for Suffolk and Norfolk.

Katherine Aly, 1.35pm to 1.55pm  

KATHERINE Aly is a rising alt-pop artist known for her genre-defying sound. Her distinctive orange aesthetic and a commitment to pushing creative boundaries have garnered praise from the press including Wonderland, Notion and Earmilk. BBC Introducing described Aly’s songs as “educational”, reflecting her distinctive lyrical approach and incisive perspective on relationships.

Her music operates as a form of “humorous anthropological research”, set against an hyperpop soundscape that fuses alternative pop with an experimental edge. Her work has received airplay on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music and support from BBC Introducing Scotland, who . named her as their Future-Ready Artist of 2026. 

Lepani, 2.10pm to 2.30pm

LEPANI is a Fijian-born, New Zealand-raised independent artist, songwriter and producer. Blending alternative pop, R&B and soul and drawing on a diverse range of influences to create a smooth sound, his music has gained 14 million streams across digital platforms.

Since making Manchester home, he has immersed himself in the grassroots scene, performing regularly in venues across the city and building relationships with fellow artists. Lepani has performed internationally too, including at Pacific Roots Festival in Amsterdam. His upcoming project explores vulnerability, mental health and his challenging relationship with his music career. 

Chisara, 2.45pm to 3.05pm  

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY artist Chisara mixes radical hope with punk, curiosity and philosophy in their Afro-art-pop sound, making music that asks you to shine your light on the world while interrogating the chaos and contradictions at its core.

Chisara’s voice, lyricism and skilful storytelling has led to achievements across theatre, film and visual arts, including a George Butterworth Award; choreography for Steve McQueen’s Blitz; mentoring from Brian Eno through Netflix’s composer programme and recognition from BBC Introducing London, The Great Escape, The Roundhouse, Tate Britain and the National Theatre. 

Circe,  3.20pm to 3.40pm  

BRIGHTON artist, writer and multi-instrumentalist Circe makes cinematic dark-pop, where huge synths, distorted guitars, strings and layered vocals collide with sharply drawn storytelling. Taking cues from Björk, FKA twigs and Kate Bush, her sound filters visceral electronics through something more romantic, atmospheric and melancholy.

Her music has appeared in Netflix’s Crew Girland Elite; Amazon Prime’s Hanna and Channel 4’sMade In Chelsea. Circe has toured with The Midnight, as well as headlining Latitude Festival’s BBC Introducing Stage and The Great Escape. Jack Saunders of BBC Radio 1’s Next Wave called Circe “insanely talented and definitely someone we are backing”.

Pavey Ark, 6.10pm to 6.30pm

PAVEY Ark are a cinematic indie-folk band from Hull, making music wherein atmospheric vocals, strings and horns glide over finger-picked guitar, melodic bass and complex percussion. The result is a sound that evades immediate comparison. Pavey Ark are known for sublime live shows, having played SXSW Texas, the Glastonbury Acoustic Stage and Cambridge Folk Festival.

Their second album, 2025’s More Time, More Speed, was mixed by producer Paul Butler and selected for Record Store Day 2026, with a live in-store performance at Rough Trade. Debut album Close Your Eyes And Think Of Nothing (2020) was lauded by Uncut and Record Collector, receiving airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music.

PH, 6.45pm to 7.05pm

MANUFACTURED in Northwest London, lyrical rapper PH’s modern alternative sound blends old-school hip-hop with influences from cultures around the world. He has collaborated with Soulja Boy, The Game, Onyx and Swayvee, as well as producers including Oliver Bassil, who has worked with NBA YoungBoy and That Mexican OT.

PH’s 2024 collaboration with rising artist SoloCelo, You Girl has become a summer anthem, amassing more than one million streams. The pair followed up with Hell N’ Back. PH has travelled to Lagos and Rio de Janeiro to create music and visual content, including a Hollywood-style video aired on Nigerian television.

WineMom, 7.20pm to 7.40pm

DUBLIN four-piece WineMom WineMom are stepping their way firmly to the forefront of the Irish music scene. Led by powerhouse frontwoman Rosanna, their sound draws parallels to Fleetwood Mac and Blondie.

In their first year, they supported Kingfishr, Jane’s Addiction and Deacon Blue, as well as making a surprise appearance at Electric Picnic. Debut EP Grand Affair came out in April 2026. Now WineMom are excited to bring their self-styled brand of “Nostalgia Rock” to the rest of the world.

Other People’s Leisure, 7.55pm to 8.15pm

OTHER People’s Leisure (OPL) are making waves on their own terms. The Scottish electronic duo of Craig A and Craig P craft immersive live performances using analogue hardware, digital production and multi-projection visuals, creating melody-driven music that translates seamlessly to their expansive sets, with lyrics adding emotional depth and drawing from a background in songwriting.

Taking influence from Bicep, Caribou, Four Tet and Junior Boys, OPL make indie-infused electronica that “sits equally at home on the dance floor and the journey home”. Their debut release earned support from BBC Introducing and a placement on Apple Music’s New In Dance playlist. 

Roe, 8.20pm to 8.50pm  

DERRY songwriter Roe describes herself as “an emotional car crash with free will and an impulse to write”. Roe’s influences span Irish singer-songwriters such as Orla Gartland to American artists Medium Build and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. 

Through live performances at Reeperbahn, SXSW and a UK arena run supporting Snow Patrol, she has connected with audiences all over the world. Her 2022 debut album That’s When The Panic Sets Inwas called “an exceptionally sophisticated succession of confessional songs” byThe Irish Times. Everything since has been made without a label or publisher on her own terms and with a small, dedicated team around her. 

ALONGSIDE the day of live music, the programme features a talk by Jess Iszatt, presenter of BBC Introducing on BBC Radio 1,  an industry panel featuring Futuresound and Beggars Group and networking opportunities with Universal Music, Rough Trade Records and Domino Recording Company. For the full festival programme and tickets, go to: asff.co.uk.

Jess Iszatt: BBC Introducing presenter giving a talk at Aesthetica Film Festival

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 45, from Gazette & Herald

Isabel Azar’s Clare in rehearsal for Black Treacle Theatre’s Poor Clare at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York. Picture: Jim Paterson

FROM the 16th Aesthetica Film Festival to a nocturnal ghost sculpture trail, Strictly stars after hours in Vegas to punk poet Dr John Cooper Clarke, Charles Hutchinson says yes to November events.

Life-changing story of the week: Black Treacle Theatre in Poor Clare, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

THE lives of the young St Clare and St Francis of Assisi are the subject of American playwright Chiara Atik’s comedy Poor Clare, presented in York for the first time by Black Treacle Theatre, directed by Jim Paterson.

Noblewoman Clare (Isabel Azar) is set for marriage to a rich aristocrat and a life of wealth and privilege in 13th century Assisi, but then she meets Francis (PJ Gregan), whose strong faith and commitment to rejecting the established order and serving the poor makes her look at her life in a new way. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Ghosts After Dark: Taking over York Museum Gardens for five nights from November 4

Sculpture trail of the week: York BID and York Museums Trust present Ghosts After Dark, York Museum Gardens, today to Sunday, 5.30pm to 9.30pm; timed entry slots until 8pm

AFTER the Ghosts In The Gardens free public art trail of 70 wire-mesh sculptures – including ten new ones – across 32 city-centre locations concluded last Sunday, Ghosts After Dark takes over for five atmospheric nights of nights of live storytelling, light, smoke and sound next week in the Museum Gardens, plus King’s Manor courtyard and Library Lawn, the Anglian Tower, Edible Wood, Artists’ Garden, St Olave’s churchyard and the area beside York Art Gallery.

Representing a fascinating person, creature or story connected to York’s history, each sculpture was made by York creative agency Unconventional Design. A new interactive experience and the inaugural night market will be further highlights of the 90-minute trail. Bookings: www.theyorkbid.com/ghosts-after-dark/.

Heading for the Aesthetica Film Festival in York

Festival of the week: Aesthetica Film Festival, York, today to Sunday

IN its 16th year under the artistic directorship of Cherie Federico, Aesthetica Film Festival welcomes filmmakers, games developers and virtual reality experts from around the world. The five-day programme comprises  screenings, VR & games labs, a podcasting lounge, industry masterclasses and workshops, networking sessions, live performances, pitching opportunities, the New Music Stage and much more. For the full programme and tickets, go to asff.co.uk.

Strictly Come Dancing stars Pasha Kovalev, Brendan Cole, Vincent Simone, Ian Waite and James Jordan head to York Barbican in Legends in Vegas: After Hours. Picture: Ryan Howard

From Strictly to Sin City dance show of the week: The Legends in Vegas: After Hours, York Barbican, tonight, 7.30pm

THE Legends, alias Strictly alumnae Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Pasha Kovalev, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite, reunite for a third tour, Vegas: After Hours, where the dance floor never sleeps as they bring the spirit of Sin City to life through breathtaking routines and nonstop entertainment, set to a soundtrack inspired by the greatest Las Vegas performers of all time. 

Think neon lights and electric nights, roulette tables spinning, glamorous showgirls, dazzling casinos, desert sunsets, lavish pool parties, whirlwind weddings, iconic hotels and world-class entertainment, captured in dance. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Julie Russell Wilson’s Miss Marple, centre, leading the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company cast in Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced

Murder mystery of the week: Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

WHEN a mysterious announcement appears in the local newspaper, stating the date and time a murder will take place in a quiet village home, curiosity and disbelief turn quickly to alarm: it is chillingly clear that the threat is all too real. 

What follows is a classic Agatha Christie puzzle of mixed motives, concealed identities and long-held secrets for the sharp-witted Miss Marple (Julie Russell Wilson) to unravel in Alex Schofield’s fundraising production in aid of the JoRo.

“Christie was a master of surprise who understood that audiences love being challenged,” says Schofield. “Then there’s the incredible premise. Someone reveals that a murder is going to take place, but not who the victim will be. From that moment on, anyone could be the victim and anyone could be the killer.

“There’s also something wonderful about hearing a collective gasp from the audience when their expectations have been turned upside down.”Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

An artwork from Kate Brown’s Among exhibition at Helmsley Arts Centre

Exhibition of the week: Kate Brown, Among, Helmsley Arts Centre, until February 26 2027

NORTH Yorkshire artist Kate Brown gathers new and existing works on paper that reflect on her engagement with place through lived experience, observation and making, “inviting a slower way of looking, encouraging reflection on our place within the environments we inhabit and the relationships that shape them”.

Using ink, pigment, copper leaf and natural materials, she creates layered compositions that evolve through an intuitive process of accumulation, erasure and response. Rather than depicting specific landscapes, the works emerge from direct encounters with the natural world and from the ongoing use of mind maps and rhizomatic diagrams as tools for thinking, connecting and understanding. Organic forms, shifting marks and delicate surfaces suggest patterns of growth, movement and relationship, alluding to seasonal change and the transient nature of experience.

Special guest Heather Findlay performing with the John Hackett Band

Ryedale gig of the week: John Hackett Band with special guest Heather Findlay, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm

YORK singer-songwriter Heather Findlay will be the special guest of John Hackett Band, the prog-rock band led by Steve Hackett’s brother, whose second album, Red Institution, was released last year.

From Hackett’s pastoral flute textures, through the funky interplay between drummer Duncan Parsons and bassist Jeremy Richardson, to the intricacies of Nick Fletcher’s lead guitar, the group embraces pop, rock, jazz, classical, funk and all stops in-between, from tender ballads to hair-raising instrumental workouts. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Dr John Cooper Clarke: Showcasing new poetry collection Have It at the Grand Opera House, York

Punk poet of the week: Dr John Cooper Clarke, Grand Opera House, York, Friday, doors 7pm

SALFORD sage Dr John Cooper Clarke’s anarchic punk poetry and no-nonsense approach to his work has led to a career spanning cultures, art forms and continents, drawing audiences from clubs to arenas. On his 20-date tour, Cooper Clarke, 77, promotes his new collection, Have It, the follow-up to 2024’s What, as well as performing fan favourites with his trademark machine-gun delivery. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The Shires’ Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes: Playing songs from Bonfire the night after Bonfire Night at York Barbican

Country gig of the week: The Shires, York Barbican, Friday, 7.30pm

BRITISH country duo The Shires – Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes – promote their sixth studio album, July 3’s Bonfire, on their 12-date UK tour, their first with a full band in four years. Expect new songs celebrating togetherness, escapism and positivity, complemented by fan favourites. Kaylee Bell supports. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Seann Walsh: Find out why “This Is Torture” at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Jiksaw

York comedy gig of the week: Seann Walsh, This Is Torture, York Theatre Royal, Friday, 8pm

I’M A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! 2022 series survivor Seann Walsh has decided to name his latest stand-up tour show after the phrase he says the most: “This Is Torture”.  The dishevelled Camden comedian brings his signature blend of chaos and charm to York to put himself through an anxiety filled-hour. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Karl Bushby: The Man Who Walked The World

In Focus: Norwell Lapley Productions present Karl Busby: The Man Who Walked The World, York Theatre Royal, November 22, 6.30pm

KARL Bushby, the Yorkshireman who walked the world, will set out to York Theatre Royal from his Hull home on November 22 to tell his extraordinary story.

Adventurer Karl, now 57, set off from Punta Arenas, Chile, in 1998 with the almost unimaginable ambition of walking all the way home to East Yorkshire.

He made himself two promises:  he would use no transport to advance his journey and he would not return home until he had completed the entire expedition on foot. After 28 years, he was welcomed home to Hull on November 2.

Along the way, Karl has crossed some of the world’s most hostile landscapes, faced life-threatening dangers and endured immense physical and psychological challenges, pushing himself to limits few could comprehend.

From navigating the perilous Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia, to tackling the frozen expanse of the Bering Strait, between Russian and Alaska, his journey is a remarkable testament to courage, resilience and the indomitable human spirit.

Now, York audiences are invited to step inside an adventure spanning continents, cultures and generations. Through first-hand storytelling, Karl will reveal the experiences behind the headlines:  the moments when survival hung in the balance, the obstacles that threatened to derail his mission, the sacrifices demanded by a life on the move and the extraordinary determination that kept him heading towards home. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

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Play announcement of the week: The Housemaid, Grand Opera House, York. When do tickets go on sale?

Keyhole urgency: Psychological thrills in The Housemaid: The Play

EVERY house has its secrets. The question is: who holds the keys? Find out the answer in The Housemaid: The Play, whose debut tour will visit the Grand Opera House, York, from November 23 to 27…NEXT year.

ATG+ pre-sale opens at 10am on November 5; general sales follow from 10am on November 6 at atgtickets.com/york/.

Based on Freida McFadden’s best-selling novel, the psychological thriller makes its stage bow in Melting Pot’s gripping new production, led by Simon Friend and Hanna Osmolska (Life Of Pi; Paranormal Activity), to be mounted in collaboration with Lionsgate,

Adapted by stage and screen writer Bekah Brunstetter (Tony Award nominee for The Notebook; The Five-Star Weekend) and directed by Tony Award and Olivier Award nominee Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story; The Hunger Games: On Stage), the show will be based on both the Lionsgate film, released last December en route to grossing $400 million at the box office, and McFadden’s literary phenomenon.

Directed by Paul Feig from a screenplay by Rebecca Sonnenshine rooted in McFadden’s book, the film was produced by Todd Lieberman, Laura Fischer and Feig.

Opening at the Richmond Theatre, London, on September 14 2027, the stage production marks the latest step in the studio’s continued expansion of The Housemaid franchise, where the film sequel, The Housemaid’s Secret, is in production already, set for a global theatrical release on December 17 2027.  

Bekah Brunstetter will write the play. She earned a Tony Award nomination for her work on the book for the Broadway musical The Notebook. Last year, her play Mother’s Day debuted as part of the DNA New Works Program at La Jolla Playhouse, University of California, San Diego. Her play The Cake has been produced more than 100 times globally.

Brunstetter also created the television series The Five-Star Weekend, starring Jennifer Garner and Regina Hall, and her television work includes American Gods, This Is Us and Maid, for which she won a Writers Guild of America Award.  

Matthew Dunster is a theatre and film director and writer. Previously an actor, he has directed or written more than 60 theatre shows, often with major companies, such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, Royal Court, Young Vic, Royal Exchange, Shakespeare’s Globe and The Bridge, as well as directing on the West End, Broadway and internationally. He has been the associate director of The Young Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

His theatre credits include: 2:22 A Ghost Story, which ran in the West End for 694 performances; Shirley Valentine and The Pillowman (The Duke of York’s); The Homecoming (Young Vic); Dealer’s Choice (The Donmar) and The Hunger Games: On Stage (Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre).

Dunster has been nominated for four Olivier Awards and his Broadway production of Hangmen was nominated for five Tony Awards. 

American author Freida McFadden is known for her psychological thrillers and medical-themed suspense novels. She gained widespread recognition with The Housemaid (2022), which became a viral sensation, leading to two sequels: The Housemaid’s Secret (2023) and The Housemaid Is Watching (2024).  

McFadden’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year; she has won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Paperback and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner.

Beyond her literary successes, McFadden has been lauded for her contributions to literature, with her novels consistently appearing as #1 on bestseller lists (The New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Sunday Times and Publishers Weekly). To date, her novels have been translated into more than 45 languages. 

“With the stage play debuting next year and our sequel film in production, the momentum behind The Housemaid franchise continues to grow,” says Jenefer Brown, Lionsgate’s president for Global Products & Experiences.

“We’re thrilled to work with Simon, Hanna, Bekah and Matthew to bring this story to the stage in an entirely new way, giving audiences the chance to experience its suspense, twists and turns live.”

Melting Pot producer Simon Friend says: “Bekah’s adaptation of The Housemaid is exactly what we’d hoped for – a fresh and uniquely theatrical take on this wildly popular story – and made with Matthew Dunster’s vision, it will certainly bring a thrilling new dimension to the franchise.”  

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Lighthouse Family to revisit debut album Ocean Drive at York Barbican on March 8

Tunde Baiyewu and Paul Tucker of Lighthouse Family

NEWCASTLE pop-soul duo Lighthouse Family will revisit their 1995 debut album, Ocean Drive, complemented by their greatest hits, at York Barbican on March 8 2027.

Singer Tunde Baiyewu and songwriter, keyboardist and producer Paul Tucker met while studying at university and working at the same bar in the Tyneside city, going on to sell 15 million albums worldwide.

Ocean Drive, featuring Lifted, Goodbye Heartbreak and the title track, achieved six-times platinum status in the UK. 1997 follow-up Postcards From Heaven delivered further favourites including High, Raincloud and Lost In Space.

Third album Whatever Gets You Through The Day followed in 2001, and after a long creative hiatus, Baiyewu and Tucker returned in 2019 with Blue Sky In Your Head, their first studio album in 18 years, which reached number three in the UK album chart.

Lighthouse Family will play further Yorkshire shows at Sheffield City Hall on March 7 and Bradford Live on March 20 2027. Box office: York, yorkbarbican.co.uk; Sheffield, sheffieldcityhall.co.uk; Bradford, trafalgartickets.com.

Marti Pellow

No Marti No Party? Yes, Marti Pellow promises ‘non-stop hits and dancing’ at York Barbican on September 13

SCOTTISH singer and musical actor Marti Pellow will mark 40 years in music on his No Marti No Party tour, visiting York Barbican on September 13 2027.

From the much-loved songs of Wet Wet Wet to his solo favourites, expect a night of non-stop hits, dancing and a party atmosphere befitting the occasion.

When asked what fans can expect, Pellow, 61, replied: “The clue is in the title of the tour, it’s what the fans always sing back to me when the lights go down.”

Pellow last played York Barbican on May 3 2022 on his Greatest Hits Tour. Tickets for his No Marti No Party date are on sale at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/marti-pellow-2027/.

The poster for William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet In Concert 30th anniversary tour

William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet is now + live music and DJ for 30th anniversary tour. York Barbican awaits

COMMUNION One and GEA Live, in collaboration with Disney Concerts and Baz Luhrmann, will bring the global tour for the 30th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet Film In Concert to York Barbican on October 21 2027.

Visiting three continents in all, and set to make its world premiere at the Sydney Opera House on September 29 next year, the tour will stop in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, York, Birmingham and Manchester next autumn.

Academy Award-winning Leonardo DiCaprio and Emmy-winning Claire Danes star as Romeo and Juliet in the bold retelling that made Shakespeare feel dangerous and romantic for a new generation and continues to influence fashion, music and culture that still reverberates today.

Presented on a cinema screen with the original dialogue and action intact, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet Film In Concert features a hybrid ensemble performing the film’s score and music live in sync with the screen.

Blending rock and orchestral musicians with vocals, electronics and a DJ, they will channel Luhrmann’s signature fusion of classic storytelling and contemporary sound.

“One of the greatest surprises over the past three decades has been watching Romeo + Juliet find new audiences again and again. That’s the enduring magic of Shakespeare and cinema,” says filmmaker Luhrmann, whose film marked its 30th anniversary on November 1.

“This concert celebrates both, while inviting audiences around the world to experience the film’s emotion, music, and theatricality in a completely new way.”

“Romeo + Juliet has influenced generations of filmmakers, musicians, and audiences, and its impact continues to be felt 30 years later,” says Floris Douwes, producer and managing director at GEA Live. “Our goal was to create a live experience that honours that legacy while giving audiences a fresh reason to fall in love with the film all over again.”

Box office: https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/romeo-juliet/. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHzCrya9hDk

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And action! Aesthetica Film Festival is ready to roll for biggest event yet in 16th year

Aesthetica Film Festival director Cherie Federico

THE UK’s creative industries will meet in York from tomorrow  to Sunday for the 16th edition of the Aesthetica Film Festival.

From film and television to music, games, immersive technology and digital media, this BAFTA-Qualifying festival brings leading creative organisations, established practitioners and emerging talent together across the city.

For five days, York’s cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries and creative spaces will host more than 300 films alongside world premieres, live music, games, virtual reality, immersive installations, podcasts, masterclasses, workshops and industry events.

“The programme reflects the increasingly connected nature of the creative industries – and a festival that has made York its natural meeting point,” says festival founder and director Cherie Federico.

“Aesthetica has always been about creating a space where audiences can discover new ideas and where artists and industry can connect. With the city’s UNESCO status, York is fundamental to that. We bring together people working across film, television, music, games, technology and the wider creative industries, and give them a city in which to connect.”

At the heart of the festival is its international film programme, with more than 300 films spanning animation, comedy, dance, documentary, drama, fashion, music video, thriller and more. The 2026 programme features Aisling Bea, David Jonsson, Maxine Peake, Michael Sheen, Sally Phillips and Stephen Fry, alongside emerging filmmakers aplenty.

The industry programme brings significant British creative organisations to York, including Aardman, BBC, Film4, Framestore, ITV, Neal Street Productions, Ridley Scott Associates and Ubisoft.

Award-winning practitioners appearing across the programme include Mark Jenkin, Nina Hartstone & Louise Burton, Mick Audsley, Neil Forsyth and Derry Girls’ Brian J. Falconer.

Alongside sessions on directing, sound design, visual effects, animation and production, audiences can go behind the scenes of a Ridley Scott production and join several celebrations of 50 years of Aardman animation.

The UK Production Summit brings senior figures from film and television to York for panels, keynotes and networking, with commissioners and producers from organisations including Film4, Ridley Scott Associates, Sky and Warner Bros.

“For York’s creative community, this is an opportunity to engage directly with a national industry that is too often concentrated in London and the South East,” says Cherie.

“The ambition has always been bigger than a film festival. We want Aesthetica to be a place where the industry meets, ideas develop and collaborations can begin. Bringing those conversations to York matters. The creative industries are not something happening somewhere else; they are happening here.”

This sense of connection extends beyond film. A dedicated music programme brings emerging artists, record labels, A&R representatives and music professionals together, topped off by the New Music Stage returning to York Theatre Royal on Saturday.

Ten breakthrough artists, including acts from Dublin and Derry, will perform across indie, folk, jazz, hip-hop, alt-pop and pop, alongside panels, masterclasses and networking with BBC Introducing on Radio 1 (Jess Iszatt), Beggars Group (Rough Trade and Matador Records), GQ, Dazed, Universal Music and Futuresound Group.

The festival looks to the future of storytelling through its Games Lab and VR Lab. Now in its fourth edition, Games Lab returns to the National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, with 50 games across PC, console, headsets and smart devices, showcasing independent developers alongside established studios. The VR Lab explores immersive cinema and the possibilities of 360-degree storytelling.

“The future of storytelling is not one format,” says Cherie. “It is film, music, games, podcasts, immersive art, virtual reality and whatever comes next. Aesthetica gives all of those forms a place to meet.”

This approach is particularly at home in York, the UK’s only UNESCO City of Media Arts. This year the UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO has moved from the Guildhall to the De Grey Rooms, bringing together 40 organisations and creative businesses working across film, games, immersive technology, digital storytelling and creative innovation on Thursday and Friday. Admission is free.

To complement the EXPO, in a new festival strand, York Business School at York St John University will present free workshops and talks by Argonon, Creative UK, the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Innovate UK, Scottish Games Network and Screen Yorkshire. The EXPO and workshops will open up conversations between creative businesses, students, audiences and industry professionals.

The festival will extend into York’s public spaces. Through its partnership with Audible, the free Radical Listening Immersive Media Arts Trail, running from Exhibition Square and the York Theatre Royal patio towards King’s Square, will feature new light, sound and interactive technology installations by Squidsoup, Steve Messam and Being Now.

Audio storytelling is represented by Aesthetica’s Podcast Lounge at City Screen Picturehouse, exploring true crime, investigative journalism, documentary and audio fiction.

The partnership with Audible continues with the Listening Pitch, culminating in the premiere of three new documentaries on Friday at City Screen, followed by a Q&A, DJ, drinks and networking.

Family Friendly screenings and workshops at York St John University Creative Centre will introduce children aged seven to 14 to filmmaking, acting, gaming and stop-motion animation, giving them practical experience of creative technology while developing digital literacy.

“I’m keen for people who may not have come to the festival previously to come this time,” says Cherie. “It’s bigger than just going to the films or masterclasses,” says Cherie. “Why not go to the free EXPO or Immersive Media Arts Trail, so that everyone can feel part of it?

“This festival is a chance for York to embrace with new media, which doesn’t happen anywhere else in the UK and is unique to this city.

“For five days, York becomes the UK hub for these industries. That’s exciting and something we should take pride in – and the festival brings £2mto the York economy.”

Aesthetica Film Festival 2026, York, November 4 to 8. Festival passes include access to film screenings, masterclasses and events, with selected activities requiring advance registration. Single-screening tickets and one-day, two-day and unlimited passes are available. York residents can save 25 per cent on a One Day Festival Pass. Tickets and full programme: asff.co.uk.

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Top Ten Things To Do at Aesthetica Film Festival 2026 from November 4 to 8

The poster for Aesthetica Film Festival 2026: five days of film and much more in York

FESTIVAL director Cherie Federico provides her guide to five days of film and much more besides in York.

Film screenings

EXPERIENCE more than 300 shorts, features, documentaries, animations and experimental films from across the globe. Many of these titles are Oscar and BAFTA-qualifying, giving audiences a first look at the filmmakers of the future.  Genres include Advertising, Artists’s Film, Comedy, Dance, Drama, Family Friendly, Thriller, Fashion and Thriller.

Attend the Makers’ Forum at York Theatre Royal from November 5 to 8 to hear from directors and producers, discover new cinematic voices and celebrate bold, thought-provoking storytelling that pushes boundaries and challenges perspectives.

VR and Games Labs

STEP into the future of storytelling. The VR (Virtual Reality) and Games Labs at the National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, invite audiences to explore cutting-edge works in virtual, augmented and mixed reality, plus innovative indie games. Engage with immersive environments, interactive narratives and demonstrations from the frontier of creative technology. Learn how artists are merging code, design and emotion to reinvent what it means to experience a story.

Enjoying the full virtual reality experience in Aesthetica’s VR Lab

Masterclasses and panels

AESTHETICA’S industry sessions feature icons and innovators from Ridley Scott Associates, Aardman, BBC, Film4 and Framestore. Gain insight into the craft and business of filmmaking, from production design and cinematography to pitching, funding and post-production. Ideal for anyone serious about their creative career.

Workshops and roundtables

BE hands-on with practical sessions designed for filmmakers, producers and writers. From screenwriting labs and pitching clinics to discussions on funding, diversity and distribution, these workshops provide actionable advice from professionals.

The roundtable format encourages open dialogue and peer learning: an ideal space to test ideas, ask questions and gain valuable mentorship.

Venues for masterclasses and workshops range from York Theatre Royal, the Yorkshire Museum and York St John University Creative Centre to Spark: York and the De Grey Rooms.

A still from Owen Richards’s Elsewhere, one of 300 films showing at Aesthetica Film Festival 2026

Networking and pitching

MEET producers, commissioners and collaborators at Aesthetica’s networking events and UK Film Production Summit, featuring more than 150 companies, at The Grand, Station Rise, on November 5. Socials and informal meet-ups give you a chance to share your ideas, find partners and make connections that could propel your next project forward. This is where creative relationships and future deals are born.

Parties and socials

WHEN the lights go down, the city comes alive. Aesthetica’s parties are legendary:  relaxed and welcoming spaces where creatives from film, music, gaming and art collide.

Whether you are winding down after a screening or celebrating a new collaboration, the festival’s social scene is where friendships form, ideas spark and stories continue long into the night.

Going behind the camera at Aesthetica Film Festival

Listening Pitch premieres

NOW in its sixth year, the Listening Pitch at City Screen Picturehouse from November 5 to 8 shines a spotlight on the future of audio documentary. Aesthetica has commissioned 13 original documentaries through this pioneering programme, and this year marks the premiere of three new projects.

Previous commissions have gone on to screen at SXSW (South By South West) and Sundance and have been acquired by the Guardian. This is the place to discover bold new documentary talent with live presentations, audience Q&As and an atmosphere that celebrates the art of sound and story.

New Music Stage

FEATURING a line-up of some of the UK and Ireland’s most exciting emerging artists, the New Music Stage blends film and sound in thrilling ways. This year’s acts at York Theatre Royal on November 7 from 1pm to 8.50pm include LFay, Katherine Aly, Lepani, Chisara, Circe, Pavey Ark, PH, Winemom, Other People’s Leisure and Roe –the headliners of tomorrow.

In addition, hear from the keynote speaker, BBC Introducing/BBC Radio 1 presenter Jess Iszatt, plusUniversal Music, Rough Trade, Domino Records and more. This event is included in all valid festival passes. Alternatively,  a New Music Stage ticket can be bought from York Theatre Royal at https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/aesthetica-new-music-stage/.

New Music Stage: Showcasing British and Irish emerging artists at York Theatre Royal

Immersive Media Arts Trail

CREATED in partnership with Audible, the Radical Listening Immersive Media Trail will bring three new installation-based artworks to York from November 4 to 8. Works by Squidsoup, Steve Messam and Being Now Here will use light, sound and interactive technology to transform public spaces in a free art trail that will run from Exhibition Square and York Theatre Royal and towards King’s Square.

Podcast Lounge

AESTHETICA is the first UK film festival to offer a dedicated Podcasting Lounge, a space where audio is at the centre of storytelling. Curated to spotlight dynamic voices in independent podcasting, the lounge offers the opportunity to pause and take a moment to truly listen. Here is a chance to sit down, discover new voices and listen to bold new stories in The Basement at City Screen Picturehouse, open daily from10am to 9.30pm throughout the festival.

Now in its 16th year, Aesthetica Film Festival will run in myriad York locations from November 4 to 8. For full details and to book festival passes and tickets, go to asff.co.uk.

Look out too for UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO featuring games, films, VFX and design, showcased by 40 exhibiting organisations at the De Grey Rooms, Exhibition Square, York, on November 5 and 6 from 9am to 9pm. Admission is free, For more details, go to mediacityexpo.com.  This will be complemented by UNESCO Expo Workshops, presented by York Business School.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond as Aesthetica Film Festival expands again. Hutch’s List No. 44, from The York Press

Fladam Theatre’s Florence Poskitt and Adam Sowter cooking up the York musical comedy duo’s Halloween show in Hallowbean

FROM the 16th Aesthetica Film Festival to a nocturnal ghost sculpture trail, Strictly stars after hours in Vegas to punk poet Dr John Cooper Clarke, Charles Hutchinson says yes to November events.

Children’s Halloween show of the week: Fladam Theatre in Hallowbean, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 2.30pm

FLADAM Theatre, the madcap York musical comedy duo of Florence Poskitt and Adam Sowter, head to Helmsley this afternoon with their spooktastic musical comedy Hallowbean. In the town of Ghooul, Dr Frankenheinz is rustling up his Hallowbean for the annual Halloween cooking competition, hoping his tomatoey terror will dazzle Scary Berry, the most frightful food critic of them all.

Rather than scary, however, Hallowbean is downright lovable. Problem! “Will Halloween have to be cancelled? Or can the Hallowbean find her scare in time?” ask Fladam. Find out in this hour-long, pun and puppet-packed Halloween treat for three to ten years olds. Box office: Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Seann Walsh: Putting himself through an anxiety filled-hour at York Theatre Royal on November 6

Comedy gigs of the week: Russell Howard, Don’t Tell The Algorithm, York Barbican, today, 3.30pm & 7.30pm, and Sunday, 7.30pm;  Seann Walsh, This Is Torture, York Theatre Royal, November 6, 8pm

POLITICAL comedian and Five Brilliant Things podcaster Russell Howard returns with a new stand-up show for 2026, where he invites you back into the room: no phones, no distractions, only humans and jokes, but don’t tell the algorithm. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk; best availability on Sunday night.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! 2022 series survivor Seann Walsh has decided to name his latest stand-up tour show after the phrase he says the most: “This Is Torture”.  The dishevelled Camden comedian brings his signature blend of chaos and charm to York to put himself through an anxiety filled-hour. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

James Swanton: Back on track with The Signal-Man’s return to York Medical Society

Recommended but sold out already: James Swanton presents The Signal-Man, York Medical Society, Stonegate, York, November 2 to 8, 7pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday; 5.30pm & 7.30pm, Saturday

A RED light. A black tunnel. A waving figure. A warning beyond understanding. And the fear that someone – that something – is drawing closer in The Signal-Man, Charles Dickens’s most frightening ghost story, here paired with the supernatural terrors of The Trial For Murder in York storyteller and actor James Swanton’s delightfully macabre double bill. Box office for returns only: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Isabel Azar’s Clare in rehearsal for Black Treacle Theatre’s Poor Clare at Theatre@41, Monkgate

Life-changing story of the week: Black Treacle Theatre in Poor Clare, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, November 3 to 7, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

THE lives of the young St Clare and St Francis of Assisi are the subject of American playwright Chiara Atik’s comedy Poor Clare, presented in York for the first time by Black Treacle Theatre, directed by Jim Paterson.

Noblewoman Clare (Isabel Azar) is set for marriage to a rich aristocrat and a life of wealth and privilege in 13th century Assisi, but then she meets Francis (PJ Gregan), whose strong faith and commitment to rejecting the established order and serving the poor makes her look at her life in a new way. Box office: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Ghosts After Dark: Taking over York Museum Gardens for five nights from November 4

Sculpture trail of the week: York BID and York Museums Trust present Ghosts After Dark, York Museum Gardens, November 4 to 8, 5.30pm to 9.30pm; timed entry slots until 8pm

AFTER the Ghosts In The Gardens free public art trail of 70 wire-mesh sculptures – including ten new ones – across 32 city-centre locations concludes on Sunday, Ghosts After Dark takes over for five atmospheric nights of nights of live storytelling, light, smoke and sound next week in the Museum Gardens, plus King’s Manor courtyard and Library Lawn, the Anglian Tower, Edible Wood, Artists’ Garden, St Olave’s churchyard and the area beside York Art Gallery.

Representing a fascinating person, creature or story connected to York’s history, each sculpture was made by York creative agency Unconventional Design. A new interactive experience and the inaugural night market will be further highlights of the 90-minute trail. Bookings: www.theyorkbid.com/ghosts-after-dark/.

All heading to the Aesthetica Film Festival 2026 as York awaits five days of film and much more

Festival of the week: Aesthetica Film Festival 2026, York, November 4 to 8

IN its 16th year under the artistic directorship of Cherie Federico, Aesthetica Film Festival welcomes filmmakers, games developers and virtual reality experts from around the world. The five-day programme comprises  screenings, VR & games labs, a podcasting lounge, industry masterclasses and workshops, networking sessions, live performances, pitching opportunities, the New Music Stage and much more. For the full programme and tickets, go to asff.co.uk.

Strictly Come Dancing stars Pasha Kovalev, Brendan Cole, Vincent Simone, Ian Waite and James Jordan head to York Barbican in Legends in Vegas: After Hours. Picture: Ryan Howard

From Strictly to Sin City dance show of the week: The Legends in Vegas: After Hours, York Barbican, November 4, 7.30pm

THE Legends, alias Strictly alumnae Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Pasha Kovalev, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite, reunite for a third tour, Vegas: After Hours, where the dance floor never sleeps as they bring the spirit of Sin City to life through breathtaking routines and nonstop entertainment, set to a soundtrack inspired by the greatest Las Vegas performers of all time. 

Think neon lights and electric nights, roulette tables spinning, glamorous showgirls, dazzling casinos, desert sunsets, lavish pool parties, whirlwind weddings, iconic hotels and world-class entertainment, captured in dance. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Julie Russell Wilson’s Miss Marple, front, leading the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company cast in Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced

Murder mystery of the week: Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company in Agatha Christie’s A Murder Is Announced, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, November 4 to 7, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

WHEN a mysterious announcement appears in the local newspaper, stating the date and time a murder will take place in a quiet village home, curiosity and disbelief turn quickly to alarm: it is chillingly clear that the threat is all too real. 

What follows is a classic Agatha Christie puzzle of mixed motives, concealed identities and long-held secrets for the sharp-witted Miss Marple (Julie Russell Wilson) to unravel in Alex Schofield’s fundraising production in aid of the JoRo.

“Christie was a master of surprise who understood that audiences love being challenged,” says Schofield. “Then there’s the incredible premise. Someone reveals that a murder is going to take place, but not who the victim will be.

“From that moment on, anyone could be the victim and anyone could be the killer. There’s also something wonderful about hearing a collective gasp from the audience when their expectations have been turned upside down.”Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Dr John Cooper Clarke: Showcasing new poetry collection Have It at the Grand Opera House, York

Punk poet of the week: Dr John Cooper Clarke, Grand Opera House, York, November 6, doors 7pm

SALFORD sage Dr John Cooper Clarke’s anarchic punk poetry and no-nonsense approach to his work has led to a career spanning cultures, art forms and continents, drawing audiences from clubs to arenas. On his 20-date tour, Cooper Clarke, 77, promotes his new collection, Have It, the follow-up to 2024’s What, as well as performing fan favourites with his trademark machine-gun delivery. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

The Shires: Lighting up Bonfire at York Barbican the day after Bonfire Night

Country gig of the week: The Shires, York Barbican, November 6, 7.30pm

BRITISH country duo The Shires – Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes – promote their sixth studio album, July 3’s Bonfire, on their 12-date UK tour, their first with a full band in four years. Expect new songs celebrating togetherness, escapism and positivity, complemented by fan favourites. Kaylee Bell supports. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Karl Bushby: The Man Who Walked The World

In Focus: Norwell Lapley Productions present Karl Busby: The Man Who Walked The World, York Theatre Royal, November 22, 6.30pm

KARL Bushby, the Yorkshireman who walked the world, will set out to York Theatre Royal from his Hull home on November 22 to tell his extraordinary story.

Adventurer Karl, now 57, set off from Punta Arenas, Chile, in 1998 with the almost unimaginable ambition of walking all the way home to East Yorkshire.

He made himself two promises:  he would use no transport to advance his journey and he would not return home until he had completed the entire expedition on foot. After 28 years, he will be welcomed home to Hull on November 2.

Along the way, Karl has crossed some of the world’s most hostile landscapes, faced life-threatening dangers and endured immense physical and psychological challenges, pushing himself to limits few could comprehend.

From navigating the perilous Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia, to tackling the frozen expanse of the Bering Strait, between Russian and Alaska, his journey is a remarkable testament to courage, resilience and the indomitable human spirit.

Now, York audiences are invited to step inside an adventure spanning continents, cultures and generations. Through first-hand storytelling, Karl will reveal the experiences behind the headlines:  the moments when survival hung in the balance, the obstacles that threatened to derail his mission, the sacrifices demanded by a life on the move and the extraordinary determination that kept him heading towards home. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

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Charlie Brooks plays mum as teenager Chris turns female in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Alex Keenan’s Chris and Charlie Brooks’s Judy, her mum, in Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep’s The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Picture: Johan Persson

EASTENDERS soap star Charlie Brooks returns to the Grand Opera House, York, next week for the first time since appearing in Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy of matrimonial mishaps How The Other Half Loves in October 2017.

This time she will play mum Judy in Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep’s bold new interpretation of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, on tour in York from October 27 to 31.

“It’s nice to be part of something that feels important, relevant and sees the world through a different perspective, which can be very powerful,” says Charlie. “We have a brilliant creative team and a fantastic cast, and there’s such hope in a play that’s heartbreaking at the same time. I think our production does capture that, finding humour in things that are hard.”

Directed by Ned Bennett, this fresh perspective will honour the heart of Mark Haddon’s original novel while inviting audiences to experience University of York alumnus Simon Stephens’s adaptation through a new lens.

For the first time, fearful yet fearless neurodivergent teenager Chris Boone is being played by a female actor – Alex Keenan and her matinee alternate Imi Price – in a murder mystery that combines the intrigue of a whodunit with a coming-of-age story, where 15-year-old schoolgirl Chris is unsettled by the unpredictability of people and everyday life but has powers of logic beyond conventional reasoning or normal patterns of behaviour.

When a neighbour’s dog is discovered killed, Chris comes under suspicion. Determined to prove her innocence, Chris becomes both detective and suspect, drawn into a mystery that grows darker and more complex with every clue uncovered, forcing her  to confront truths that will test her courage, family and understanding of trust, independence and the wider world.

Charlie, best known for her long-running soap opera role as wildcat Janine Butcher in EastEnders, is now cast as an absentee mum, Judy in ‘Curious Incident’. “As a mother, I face my own challenges with my gorgeous daughter [Kiki], who’s 22 next month,” she says, with humour in her voice.

“Judy is written with so much complexity. She’s flawed, as are many characters within the play, but she’s really doing her best. She’s found herself in a situation where she was unable to cope with the challenges in front of her and she didn’t feel like she had much choice. It’s a horrible question to contemplate: what if me leaving is the best thing for my child.

“Judy thinks ‘I’m explosive, I’m reactive, I can’t cope’. That must be a really difficult thing to go through, totally heartbreaking, especially since Judy obviously deeply loves her child.”

Stephens’ play does allow sympathy for Judy. “What’s really great is she’s not judged in the play. The audience is allowed to find some sort of identification with her. She speaks her truth. This is a play about communication and honesty – or the lack of it, in some cases. Her truth is that she felt invisible and unable to manage.

“There aren’t enough representations of mothers saying ‘It’s so hard, I want to run away’. The show has empathy for her. I sometimes had those feelings as a mum. I think lots of women do!”

Awareness of neurodivergence has grown and grown since Haddon’s mystery novel was published in 2003 and indeed since the National Theatre premiere of Stephens’ play in 2012. “There were far fewer people diagnosed when the novel was first out, or when the show was originally on, compared to now, when this is something that’s much more talked about. That’s a brilliant thing: there’s much deeper understanding and completely different language in the way we discuss neurodiversity today,” says Charlie.

“Joining the show was an absolute no-brainer,” says Charlie Brooks of taking the role of absentee mum Judy in The Curious Incident Of The Night-Time. Picture: Johan Persson

“Conversation around the subject was blown wide open and people are much more aware. It was beautiful to come out of the theatre and hear a young girl say, ‘oh, I didn’t know anyone else felt like that, where young people can feel overwhelmed, especially with girls masking symptoms more than boys. I think it’s much more internalised in girls.”

Charlie read Haddon’s book a long time ago, then saw the National Theatre production. “I thought it was extraordinary,” she says. “I was so excited when I heard the play was coming back – I immediately wanted to know what the vision was, how they were planning to bring this story to life, and how it might be different in this production. Joining the show was an absolute no-brainer.”

Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep’s 2026 production will be a “whole sensory experience”, says Charlie, that will combine set and costume designer Eleanor Bull’s “incredible vibrant colour palette for a very textured set featuring lots of different materials on stage” with director Bennett’s innovative physical movements and props to represent when Chris is over-stimulated ort overwhelmed”.

“What’s really important is that the original stage experience wasn’t great for those who are neurodivergent as they found it very loud, so we’ve made it more accessible through textures, choice of colours, and sound that’s not so loud that it might frighten you,” says Charlie.

“To visualise the state of Chris’s mind, we have yellow balls on stage, as yellow is her least favourite colour, and the set design is all pink. There was a long, drawn-out month of discussion about the colour and then the shade of pink.”

Add video projections and physical performances to complement the design brief, and the result is heightened accessibility. “That’s definitely something we’re factoring in, while also making it a thrilling play that’s still entertaining and impactful,” says Charlie.

At the heart of Bennett’s production is Chris now being female. “It certainly changes things for us,” says Charlie. “The gender swap gives a completely fresh perspective on the story and the characters. Simon Stephens and Mark Haddon are very much on board with the change and all the new things it throws up.”

The mother-daughter relationship comes to the fore. “As a mother, I face my own challenges with my gorgeous daughter [Kiki], who’s 22 next month,” says Charlie, with humour in her voice.

Describing mother-daughter relationships as complicated: “I know I was an imperfect mother. I can relate to some of their challenges. It’s really helpful to show all the sides of these relationships, rather than some ideal. But whether you’re in this exact situation or not, I think everyone can relate to worrying that you’re not doing something well enough, not doing a good job, or not fitting in.”

Charlie is enjoying the experience of being on tour. “The people are a joy, which is number one when you go into this job, being surrounded by brilliant people. Doing this play, you feel you’re in something that can change people’s lives,” she says. “There are people coming to this play as maybe the first play they’ve been exposed to, and it will feel like the full theatrical experience to them, with puppetry in it too.

“School parties have been coming to the show, but you could come with your grandma – and that would ignite conversations.”

Recalling her first theatre experience, Charlie says: “Like so many, it was a pantomime. Then my mum took me to Copacabana in Shrewsbury or Manchester, then I went to Grease in London. I got the lead role in Willy Russell’s Our Day Out at the Dragon Theatre in Barmouth, where I grew up in North Wales, and I was off and running.”

Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep present The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Grand Opera House, York, October 27 to 31, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

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Katie Leckey & Emily Carhart double up to steer York Shakespeare Project’s The Comedy Of Errors into piratical waters

Cassi Roberts’s Messenger and Andrew Wrenn’s Egeon in rehearsal for York Shakespeare Project’s piratical The Comedy Of Errors. Picture: John Stead

IN Katie Leckey and Emily Carhart’s piratical twist on The Comedy Of Errors for York Shakespeare Project, the original text of Shakespeare’s “shortest and possibly funniest” play will be merged with slapstick, farce and physical comedy.

Opening tomorrow (21/10/2026) at Theatre@41, Monkgate,  the production combines the directorial talents of Leckey, director of York company Griffonage Theatre, and Carhart, who worked with Katie on York Settlement Community Players’ staging of Joe Orton’s Loot and Griffonage’s showcase of Lady Augusta Gregory works, Fourtold.  

In their opening statement, explaining the pirate overhaul, they say:  “The morally questionable, yet still comedic, nature of many, if not all, of the characters put us in mind of some of our favourite piratical antiheroes.

“We felt like the framing device of piracy gave us the chance to include slapstick violence between ‘masters and servants’ in a way that wouldn’t seem too brutal or alien to a modern audience.”

Emily says: “We realised that we both wanted to pitch to direct this production, having become friends through working together, and so we chatted about it…

…“Two heads are better than one,” says Katie. “We wanted to use our individual strengths to look at different aspects to make a coherent whole, a well-rounded piece.”

The Comedy Of Errors co-director Emily Carhart

“Katie is more experienced in physical theatre and clowning, whereas I focus on the voice, text, relationships between character,” says Emily.

“It’s all in there anyway, where it begs for the comedy to be made physical,” says Katie. “Sometimes the physical just has to happen because otherwise a joke won’t land.”

Both co-directors were devotees already of Shakespeare’s “most farcical play”, the 1592 one with the two sets of identical twins.  Why? “It’s just a really silly play,” says Emily. “In fairness, I think he intended it to be silly! It’s fast and zippy and a lot shorter than most of his plays, and when you unpick the language, it’s loaded with punchlines.

“It gives you a plot to play with because the characters are in a ridiculous situation and so you don’t have to take it seriously, but it’s written in a sophisticated way that uses metaphorical language.  That said, it may be a controversial thing to say but it’s quite a surface-level play.”

Katie adds: “The reason I like it is because it’s a farce, and obviously I’m no stranger to farces [such as Orton’s Loot]. What drew me to it is that it’s such a succinct farce, whereas Twelfth Night and As You Like It are much longer and get muddled by having too many plotlines.

Ben Reeves-Rowley’s Solinus and Harry Summers’s Angelo in the rehearsal room for York Shakespeare Project’s The Comedy Of Errors. Picture: John Stead

“This play is cohesive, cut and dry, and that makes it easier to play with. There’s none of the weirdness of the ending of Love’s Labour’s Lost; nothing that doesn’t gel or make sense – and so I can just put slapstick in it!”

The pirate twist emerged in response to the “insinuation of domestic violence and adultery in the play”. “Characters are immoral or amoral – devoid of morals – which tonally didn’t meld with the play, so we thought, ‘how can we keep it as a light comedy?’, which led to pirates,” says Emily.

“Everyone has an idea of pirates, from Treasure Island, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Muppet Treasure Island, with all that swashbuckling flamboyancy of piracy,” says Katie, who will play Luciano, by the way. “It lightens the whole thing,  with everyone knowing that pirates are into pirating and plundering, but everyone  still likes them!”

“That’s why you buy into the convention that it’s fun and silly,” says Emily. “I think it also makes it more accessible to modern audiences because of the dynamics of ‘masters and servants’, so we’ve set it in the golden age of piracy,” adds Katie.

When? The end of the Stuart era/beginning of the Georgian era… “but we’ve added Victorian costumes too because of how people think of pirates in that time,” says Katie. “It’s very much a vibe, rather than historical accuracy,” says Emily, who will bring her puppetry skills to the show.

The Comedy Of Errors co-director Katie Leckey

The co-directors were keen to apply gender swapping to “make some things less unpalatable while still drawing attention to how sexist the text is”.

“We were intrigued by the lack of traditional gender and romantic dynamics in the play,” they say. “In Elizabethan culture, as depicted in many of Shakespeare’s plays, there was a more flexible understanding of physical and romantic intimacy between same sex partners, as well as a fluid approach to the representation of gender on stage. We feel our production is a celebration of relationships of many kinds, platonic, familial and romantic.”

Katie says: “We’ve made it a matriarchy, rather than a patriarchy. We also have a same sex couple now, which I was keen to do as it feels the perfect time to do it, without shoehorning it into the plot.”

Emily adds: “It’s interesting to see a woman play such an unpleasant character [Antipholus], when we’re used to seeing men playing the role, which makes it all the more jarring.”

Katie concludes: “People will hopefully accept what we’ve done with the play. It feels right, rather than forced, so I can’t see it being done any other way now!”

York Shakespeare Project in The Comedy Of Errors, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, October 21 to 24, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

High laughs on the high seas: York Shakespeare Project’s piratical poster for this week’s production of The Comedy Of Errors

Plot summary for York Shakespeare Project’s The Comedy Of Errors

“AVAST ye landlubbers! Set sail for York Shakespeare Project’s piratical production of The Comedy of Errors!,” reads the invitation from directors Katie Leckey and Emily Carhart.

“The flamboyant captain Antipholus and flirtatious first mate Dromio arrive at the corrupt pirate isle of Ephesus to find that it has everything a salty sea dog requires: a tavern, a shipwreck, sea shanties, talking parrots, general debauchery and (of course) a whole lot of booty!

“However, things start to get very confusing very quickly, when both the captain and first mate don’t seem to be acting like themselves.

“In a plot laden with mistaken identity, colourful characters, swashbuckling action and a fair bit of slapstick, this be Shakespeare but not as ye know it.”

Who is in the cast for The Comedy Of Errors?

Antipholus of Syracuse: Helen Clarke
Dromio of Syracuse: Kat Lazarus
Antipholus of Ephesus: Laura Broughton-Janes
Dromio of Ephesus: Liz Duggan
Adriana: Ro Trimble
Luciano: Katie Leckey
Solinus, The Duke of Ephesus: Ben Reeves-Rowley
Egeon: Andrew Wrenn
Emilia, The Abbess: Andrea Mitchell
Angelo: Harry Summers
Balthazar: Grace Scott
Officer/Messenger: Cassi Roberts
Courtesan: Jacob Bassford
Dr Pinch/Nell: Jess Netherway
First Merchant/Nell: Stuart Green
Second Merchant: Thomas Jennings

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